Aloha Friend,

Yesterday marked three months since devastating fires swept through Lahaina and other parts of Maui, and Governor Josh Green shared an update on our recovery efforts and our progress on other issues that are important to our state.

Red Hill

Governor Green reported important progress on the effort to empty the fuel tanks at Red Hill and close it for good.

On October 16th, more than five months ahead of schedule, the military began draining the fuel, and as of yesterday, have removed over 78 million gallons of fuel, approximately 75% of the 104 million gallons total.

The goal of the Red Hill Joint Task Force is to remove over 99% of the fuel by the end of January and continue with the plan to close the facility permanently so that it never again poses a threat to our health or our water.

Gun Buyback

On October 21st, Governor Green held the state's first gun buyback event.

In just a few hours, the Departments of Law Enforcement and Public Safety were able to get almost 500 firearms off our streets in exchange for Foodland gift cards, with no questions asked and no ID required — collecting ghost guns, sawed-off shotguns, many semi-automatic weapons, and even an uzi.

Our children and our communities are safer because we took this direct action, and Josh has asked these departments to continue holding gun buyback events on a regular basis to get more guns off our streets and protect our keiki from deadly violence.

The Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program (HELP)

This fall, Governor Green also announced a groundbreaking loan repayment program to address the growing shortages of physicians and other healthcare professionals across Hawaii.

The Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program (HELP) will provide an unprecedented $30 million in educational loan debt repayment to health professionals licensed or otherwise certified to provide care to patients in Hawaii.

A diverse list of healthcare professionals will qualify for loan repayments starting at $12,500 and capped at $50,000 per year in exchange for two years of full-time or half-time service in Hawaii, providing care for at least 30% of vulnerable patients.

HELP will prioritize healthcare professionals with deep ties to our state, and we are placing extra emphasis on selecting mental health and addiction treatment professionals to address heightened concerns that have arisen from the COVID era and the current crisis in Maui.

The program will help ensure that rural and under-served communities across our state have access to the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers they need.

Aid and Assistance for Maui

Over the last 90 days, the American Red Cross, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and FEMA have relocated thousands of displaced families to dozens of hotels and hundreds of short-term rentals on Maui, housing over 8,000 displaced people in more than 2,400 units across some 40 properties.

To date, FEMA has received over 17,000 registrations for services and will support more than 18 months of rental assistance for survivors.

Those affected by the disaster have already received over $120 million in housing assistance and will receive another $130 million in state and federal aid.

Governor Green worked with President Biden and his administration directly to ensure that federal funds will pay for 100% of debris removal and emergency protective measures in the disaster areas, for 6 and 12 months respectively.

Josh also authorized $100 million dollars from a special Temporary Assistance for Needy Families fund, or TANF, to match what others donate, effectively doubling the power of their contributions to help affected families pay for housing, transportation, food, clothing, and other needs.

To date, nearly a thousand families have applied for these funds.

We have also begun to provide relief to local businesses in the form of emergency grants distributed by the Maui Economic Opportunity team aimed at preventing bankruptcies.

Working with House and Senate leaders and in partnership with Maui County, we have made $12.5 million available in the form of grants up to $20,000 to help local businesses survive and recover.

Maui Recovery Fund

Governor Green also announced the Maui Recovery Fund, which will provide funds to Maui families who have lost loved ones or who have suffered serious injuries in the fires.

The governor has already secured commitments of over $100 million to the fund from initial partners, including the state, Maui County, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiian Electric, Hawaiiantel, and Charter Communications.

Participation in the fund will be completely voluntary, with the goal of getting as much support as possible to affected families as quickly as possible — cutting delays and eliminating uncertainty.

In the coming weeks, other organizations and individuals across Hawaii are expected to join this effort to support those affected and help them recover.

Josh believes that that during difficult times, Hawaii needs to come together as one ohana, to support each other and offer help to those who need it most — the families who have suffered tragedy.

We will continue to keep you updated on our aid and relief efforts and other important issues over the coming weeks and months.

Thank you for supporting Josh and being a part of Team Green.

Mahalo,

Team Green